Latest news with #Siamese
Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
What Hungry Cat Does in the Kitchen Shocks Internet: 'They're Evolving'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A rescue cat named Klaus has gone viral after pulling off an unexpected kitchen trick that has left internet users both amused and slightly concerned. The viral TikTok video shared on Friday by his owner, under the username @caits182, shows the black and white cat perched on the kitchen counter, energetically pawing at the microwave door, until he finally manages to open it. "Ever seen a cat open a microwave?" the caption says, as the poster rushes to remove the cat from the appliance. In a post shared later in the week, the poster explains that Klaus, who has a history of documented shenanigans on social media with his lookalike sibling, Wesley, is a 1.5-year-old who was rescued at 5 months and is a "a softie who loves cuddles." Cats are indeed smart creatures, but unlike humans their intelligence isn't measured by an IQ but rather by their cognitive abilities and the way they interact. Studies have found that cats have a sense of object permanence, and are able to recognize when an object is hidden from their sight. They have working memory and a well-developed long-term memory, which helps them achieve their goals. They can also distinguish between different time intervals and can recognize different quantities. They also look for human cues and gestures, to respond to human moods, and are able to recognize specific human voices and become attached to people in their lives. Compared to dogs, a cat's intelligence manifests differently. Dogs often seek human guidance while cats prioritize independence. Signs of a smart cat can vary, but they usually include problem-solving, demonstrating persistence, or immediately sensing when you're having a bad day and cheering you up. The smartest cat breeds include Abyssinian, Siamese, Scottish Fold, Persians, Cornish Rex, and Turkish Angora. A stock image shows a tuxedo cat hanging out on his owner's kitchen counter. A stock image shows a tuxedo cat hanging out on his owner's kitchen counter. getty images The video quickly went viral on TikTok and it has so far received over 3.8 million views and 737,600 likes on the platform. One user, LoveSyrinaIRL, commented: "As a cat expert, this can be very dangerous for him, as he might start cooking his own food and become a chef and open his own 5-star restaurant." Ednc said: "God forbid a cat shows he's capable of reheating his own food." Laura added: "They're evolving. The end is in sight for us." Newsweek reached out to @caits182 for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Dog Raised by Cats Has Internet in Stitches: '10/10 Loaf'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A pit-bull named Opie has baffled social media users with his ability to act exactly like the cats who raised him, in a viral video that has received over 30.8 million views and 6.7 million likes on TikTok so far. The hilarious clip, shared on Saturday under the username @justopiethings, shows the pup effortlessly curling into a loaf, squeezing into tiny cat beds, and displaying behaviors similar to those of his feline siblings. "Do yo want to see what a pit-bull raised by cats looks like?" the poster writes in the clip. "Part cat part ... Maine coon?" she continues in the caption. Dogs and cats can not only live together peacefully, but they can also form a close bond and become the best of friends. However, that is not always the case, animal charity Dog Trust explains on its website. Some cats are nervous around dogs, who sometimes have a predatory drive so strong that it may compromise the welfare of the cat. Usually, when dogs get overly excited around cats and can't be calmed down, it isn't safe for them to live together. A cat and a dog should be introduced slowly and mindfully, starting with scent swapping and then gradually removing physical barriers when you finally know that they are comfortable together, and don't pose a risk to one another. While most dogs can be trained to live with cats, with the help of a specialized animal behaviorist if needed, some dog breeds are more suited for life with a feline than others. Burns Court Veterinary Care explains that because of their friendly manners, dogs like Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and beagles are the breeds that get along best with cats. Cat breeds that are most likely to accept dogs into their life include Maine coons, rag-dolls, and Siamese. A stock image shows a pit-bull mix looking over his shoulder at the camera. A stock image shows a pit-bull mix looking over his shoulder at the camera. getty images Newsweek reached out to @justopiethings for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case. The video received over 19,000 comments from amused users. One user, Mariahargrove5, commented: "The way his facial expressions show how much he is judging you, just like a cat, is absolute perfection." Jess, the brazillionaire said: "My favorite animals are cats raised by dogs or dogs raised by cats and if you don't agree, you're wrong." T added: "Tell your dog I said pspspspsps," while Sharp Lives said: "10/10 Loaf." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Woman Hears Noise From Under Car, Shock at What She Finds
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video of a tiny kitten crying under a car has gone viral on TikTok, racking up over 1 million views. The footage, captioned: "The cat distribution system did not disappoint!" shows a 1.7-pound white and tabby kitten meowing near the car and running under it when the woman gets closer. According to the text overlaid, user @shouldvebeenkiki had been waiting for this moment. She wrote: "it finally happened," referring to the "cat distribution system"—an online concept that describes how people often come to find or acquire cats, typically feeling that the cats "show up" at just the right time. At the end of the video, the kitten starts to get closer, and a voice from behind the camera can be heard asking the rescuer, "has she got a home?" to which she responds, "she's about too." Now, almost one week on, the cat—named Baby, who happens to be a boy—has settled into his new home. His proud owner has documented and shared their journey online, showing Baby tucking into his meals, playing, and snoozing. With more than 82,400 posts on TikTok using the hashtag #catdistributionsystem, one might assume that the stray cat problem in America is improving. But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) points to ongoing concerns: 1. Lack of Spaying and Neutering Unsterilized cats reproduce rapidly—one female and her offspring can produce up to 370,000 kittens in just seven years. Spaying and neutering is essential to control the population. 2. Breeding and Purebred Demand The desire for purebred cats like Siamese or sphynx contributes to the crisis. Every kitten bred for profit means one less home for a shelter cat. 3. Abandonment and Free-Roaming Cats Most feral cats descend from those abandoned outdoors. Few survive long, often facing hunger, disease, and harsh conditions. While indoor cats can live 12–20 years, those on the streets rarely make it past five. TikTok Reacts A stock image of a kitten under a car. A stock image of a kitten under a car. Mourad Saadi / 500px/500Px Unreleased Plus So far, the May 28 clip has 364,600 likes and almost 2,000 comments. One user joked: "All sweet and innocent until you get them home and they take over your house and think they're the boss." "Guys I've never seen a person adopting or buying a cat. Is this really how people become cat owners?" asked another. A third commenter shared: "I went years without the Cat distribution system giving me any kittens, to several at one time." A fourth said: "The cat distribution system has been finding me for years and it breaks my heart when I find them homes and they have to leave me, but also fills my heart with happiness that they won't have to live outside." Newsweek reached out to @shouldvebeenkiki for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Arab Times
10 hours ago
- General
- Arab Times
Pets can suffer from allergies too, but help is available
NEW YORK, June 3: About five years ago, Gail Friedman noticed her Parson Russell Terrier was constantly licking his paws and seemed super uncomfortable. "The poor dog. I would put baby socks on his feet so that he wouldn't lick them or bite at them,' said Friedman, of Oak Brook, Illinois. "I was constantly changing the socks, washing his feet a lot. Nothing worked.' It turned out her canine companion, Mr. Friedman, had allergies. It's a common and tricky problem in pets - caused by various things such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals and food - but veterinarians say there are several ways to ease their suffering. Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance. Cats and dogs react to many of the same things people do, as well as pests like fleas. There are no definitive recent statistics on how many pets have allergies, but research suggests the problem is growing. "I probably see allergic dogs and cats every single day, probably multiple times a day,' said Dr. Karen Woodard, medical director at Thrive Pet Healthcare-Elmhurst in Illinois. About 90% of allergic pets react to environmental triggers, Woodard said, and the rest have food allergies only. Dog breeds that are especially vulnerable include various types of terriers, boxers, and bulldogs; in cats, it's Persians, Siamese, and Himalayans. Pets can even be allergic to other animals - cats to dogs, dogs to cats, and either to another species. "It's possible for them to be allergic to us, just like we are to them,' said Thrive's Dr. Anthea Elliott Schick of Scottsdale, Arizona, immediate past president of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. Allergic cats and dogs aren't as likely as humans to sneeze and cough. More often, they scratch and lick themselves, shake their heads and develop ear infections. Woodard said her Yorkie mix, Teddy, had the classic signs - scratching around his shoulders and getting rashes and ear infections starting as a six-month-old puppy. She lived in the South at the time, and he tested positive for allergies to various trees and grasses there. A common sign of allergies in her feline patients is "overdoing their grooming,' said Woodard, who's on the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association's board of directors. "Cats shouldn't be pulling their hair out when they groom. So if you start seeing bald patches on your cat, even though the skin underneath it looks normal, that could be a sign of allergies.' Even food allergies, often to chicken, beef, lamb or other protein sources, frequently show up on the skin, although pets can have vomiting or diarrhea, too. Rarely, pets can develop life-threatening anaphylactic reactions, perhaps after being stung by an insect. But most allergies are simply miserable for the animals. "It breaks my heart because it gets to a point that not only do I have socks on poor Mr. Friedman - which is humiliating for him - he sometimes gets so bad he has to wear the cone of shame,' Gail Friedman said. "And that's not fair because he can't move around right, he can't sleep right. It's terrible.' The first step is to get a diagnosis from the vet. This could involve allergy testing, or in the case of food allergies, an "elimination diet,' which involves feeding limited ingredients the pet hasn't previously eaten. If the allergy culprit is environmental, there are medications like anti-inflammatory drugs and newer oral and injectable medications for dogs to block chemical signals associated with itchiness. Food allergies may be treated with special diets such as "hydrolyzed' food, in which proteins are chemically broken down into tiny pieces. All this can get expensive. Friedman estimates she's spent about $10,000 on testing, medication, and care for Mr. Friedman and another allergic dog. But vets say there are also ways to help pets at home by cleaning their bedding frequently, wiping their fur with a wet washcloth, and giving them baths. Outdoors, "they're almost acting like little Swiffers, getting allergens on their skin, and it goes through their skin and actually becomes a problem,' Schick said. "We say bathe your dog, at a minimum, once a week if they're allergic.' After she's tried nearly everything, Friedman's dogs are still vexed by allergies. But they're doing better. "I'm going to keep experimenting until we find what stops it completely,' she said. "All you can do is try.'
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#NSTviral: Two-headed Arowana makes a splash online
KUALA LUMPUR: In what can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, a local fish breeder has gone viral after one of his newly hatched arowanas was born with two heads, a rare condition often referred to as a "Siamese twin" fish. The breeder, Jackson Lee, who raises arowanas from his home in Kepong, was left speechless when he discovered the anomaly while inspecting his latest hatchlings. "This is the first time I've seen anything like this. In all my years of breeding, I've never had a twin arowana," said Lee. Ordinarily, Lee sells his baby arowanas for RM150 each. But the arrival of the conjoined twin has left him in a dilemma, should he sell it, or keep it as a rare showpiece? "I haven't decided what to do yet," he said. "For now, I'm just focused on making sure it grows healthily without any issues or complications. It's only 15 days old, still too early to tell." According to Lee, the twin fish has not started feeding yet, as its navel has not shrunk, a crucial stage in the development of newly hatched fish. "Only once the navel shrinks will it begin eating," he said. "Until then, all we can do is wait and monitor its progress." He added that the fish tends to swim near the bottom of the aquarium, as the weight of its two heads makes it difficult to swim like its peers. A video posted by Lee featuring the unusual fish quickly gained traction on social media, garnering thousands of views and sparking a wave of reactions. Among the top comments was a tongue-in-cheek question that left many amused: "If it has two heads, does it count as one fish or two?" Another user asked whether Lee planned to sell the fish, while many others marvelled at the rare occurrence. Some dubbed the fish a "living dragon" and a "lucky omen", while others urged Lee to keep it as a symbol of good fortune and uniqueness. Arowanas, often referred to as the "Dragon Fish" of Asia due to their long, sleek bodies and metallic scales, are among the most prized ornamental fish in the region. Native to Southeast Asia and parts of South America, arowanas are known for their aggressive temperament, high intelligence, and graceful swimming patterns. In Chinese culture, they are considered symbols of prosperity, strength, and good luck, with rare varieties fetching tens of thousands of ringgit in the ornamental fish market. Many believe that owning a healthy arowana can attract wealth, ward off evil spirits, and protect the household from misfortune. Because of their mythical status and strong links to feng shui, arowanas are often kept in homes, offices, and businesses by those hoping to invite positive energy and abundance. For Lee, the birth of the two-headed arowana is more than just a biological oddity, it is a pleasant surprise, and perhaps even a powerful sign of good fortune. "I don't know exactly what it means, but it feels special," said Lee, calling the birth a miracle. The video continues to go viral on social media, with netizens actively sharing and engaging with Lee's daily live updates and posts on the twin arowana.
